OMAHA — Apparently, the United States’ alpha shark has only lost a couple teeth. Michael Phelps, who turned the Beijing Olympics into his own personal gold mine, hasn’t gone belly up just yet.

His performance at the Olympic Swimming Trials that ended here Monday showed he’ll still be the biggest fish in London. And, with him, the U.S. should have the strongest swim team in the Olympics.

While Phelps is swimming his last Olympics, Centennial’s 17-year-old Missy Franklin is in her first. If it’s not enough to let her swim a U.S. women’s-record seven events, it earns her the handle of the U.S. women’s team leader in quantity, if not maturity.

Asked what he’s most concerned about, Olympic men’s coach Gregg Troy of the University of Florida said, “I’m concerned about everything. It’s a pretty big world. There is a lot of good swimmers out there. If we take anything lightly we’re making mistakes.”

For those keeping score at home, the U.S. swimming team has mopped up the world in every Olympics since 1988 when East Germany had 28 medals to the Americans’ 18. Then again, the U.S. should. It has the third largest population in the world. The most populous country is moving up fast. In last summer’s World Championships in Shanghai, China had 36 medals to the United States’ 32. The U.S. topped the medal table with 17 golds to China’s 15.

However, if you analyze the Olympics meet purely based on this year’s best times, the U.S. should roll again. Not counting relays, which don’t come together until the Olympics, the U.S. is pegged for 24 medals, with 12 gold.

The next highest is Japan with 13 gold.

The keys will be Phelps and Franklin. Both plan to swim seven events with Phelps favored to win the two butterfly events and the 200 individual medley and Franklin favored in the two backstrokes.

Phelps, 27, scratched the 200 freestyle just to save himself for the relays and butterfly. He lost only the 400 IM at the Trials and has plenty of incentive in London.

With 16 medals, including a record 14 gold, he’s only two away from Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina’s all-time record. Also, no swimmer in history has won three consecutive gold medals in an event. Only two women have: Australia’s Dawn Fraser (1956-64) in the 100 freestyle and Hungary’s Krisztina Egerszegi (1988-96) in the 200 backstroke. Phelps can do it in all four of his specialtites although Japan’s Kosuke Kitajima can also do it in the two breaststrokes.

“I’m not swimming to make top eight,” Phelps told the San Jose Mercury-News. “I want to win everything I can.”

The sub-plot is the Phelps-Ryan Lochte rivalry. It hovered over the Olympic Trials like a steady drizzle and team officials just hope it doesn’t rain on the team dynamic.

“I haven’t seen it hurt us yet,” said Frank Busch, USA Swimming director. “I know, how do you put these two champions together who are bulldogs and gladiators about their business? I’m not going to say cordial but they appreciate each other.”

USA Swimming is also relying on Franklin holding up under the glare of the international spotlight as well as she did in the tight vice of Olympic Trials pressure. No American woman has ever swum seven Olympic events before. None has won more than six medals in an Olympics. They’re going to let Missy try.

“I’m comfortable if they’re comfortable and trust both of their judgments and (coach) Todd (Schmitz) in working with her,” women’s coach Teri McKeever said. “I’m just continually more and more inpressed with her. She’s 17 years old, but she’s a professional and handled this meet like a seasoned professional and she’s going to be able to do it.”

John Henderson: 303-954-1299, twitter.com/johnhendersonDP or jhenderson@denverpost.com.

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